This invention relates generally to packing devices and more particularly, it relates to a BGA funnel of a novel configuration which is adapted for facilitating the loading of ball grid array (BGA) packages into a BGA tubular carrier.
In recent years, the miniaturization of integrated circuit chips has progressed significantly, and small-sized, rectangular plate-shaped parts of the type having no leads, such as pin grid array packages, have been coming into extensive use. Some of these types of pin grid array package structures are formed with solder balls on their bottom surface rather than with external terminal pins and are referred to as "ball grid arrays" (BGA) packages. BGA packages of this type have extra-ordinarily small outer dimensions. For example, a BGA package having 165 solder bells on its bottom surface may have dimensions of about 23.0 mm (in length) .times.23.0 mm (in width) .times.2.13 mm (in thickness). It is therefore quite difficult to store and/or transport a large number of these BGA packages in a predetermined arrangement. Moreover, it is extremely time-consuming to manually mount such BGA packages one-by-one onto a printed circuit board as is done in the case of conventional larger circuit components.
As a result, there has arisen a need for chip carriers or containers for housing and/or shipping these BGA packages so as to facilitate their storage and transportation from an integrated circuit chip manufacturer's site to an assembly station at a customer's site where automatic equipment functions to remove the BGA packages from the chip carrier and to mount the BGA packages onto a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like. Further, the chip carrier may also function so as to bring different types of electrical components to the assembly station in proper order for sequential assembly operations.
In order to function properly, the chip carriers must be capable of transporting the components placed therein and then, at the proper location (i.e., customer's site) be capable of being quickly and positively opened so that the components can be easily removed for assembly purposes. In addition, the chip carrier must also be able to provide a degree of protection for the sensitive components to be transported therein with respect to contamination, electrostatic discharge (ESD), temperature changes and mechanical shock.
Conventionally, the BGA packages have been housed and shipped in carrier trays of the type having a plurality of separate compartments or pockets for holding them and protecting the same against physical damage or contamination during handling and shipping. One of the disadvantages of the prior art carrier trays is that they require the use of an expensive "pick and place" mechanism to perform the function of picking up the individual BGA packages from the separate compartments of the carrier tray and placing them in position for surface mounting on a printed circuit board or some other operation. In an attempt to overcome this disadvantage, there has been developed a novel BGA carrier of a tubular construction for storing and shipping of BGA packages in a side-by-side arrangement and adapted for dispensing of the same in a one-by-one fashion under gravity, without the need of an expensive "pick and place" mechanism. Such BGA carrier of this tubular type has been described and claimed in a co-pending application Ser. No. 08/157,543, filed on Nov. 26, 1993, and entitled "BGA TUBE," which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.
In order to facilitate the loading of the BGA packages into the tubular carrier (BGA tube) on a more efficient and effective basis, the present invention provides a BGA funnel which is adapted for connection with the loading end of the BGA tube so as to support and guide the BGA packages during the loading procedures.